'Add Extension' Pop-Up

Posted: December 6, 2016

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	82

First Seen:	December 7, 2016
Last Seen:	April 25, 2020
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The 'Add Extension' pop-up is a browser-based attack that can install unwanted or threatening software through fraudulent pretenses. Since the 'Add Extension' pop-up requires contact with a hostile or compromised domain, PC users should monitor their browsing habits for reappearing safety issues, such as risky social networking links. Some anti-malware products also include protection against the 'Add Extension' pop-up and similar attacks.

The Advertisements You Get for Trusting a Website's Word Blindly

The weakest link in a campaign for distributing either intentionally threatening software or unwanted programs almost always is the point of installation. Since modern operating systems have fewer vulnerabilities than previously to allow for non-consensual installations, most threat actors have taken to disguising their infection vectors. Malware experts see one especially noteworthy case of such a disguise with the 'Add Extension' pop-up.

The 'Add Extension' pop-up's hosts comprise of several dedicated, threatening domains, including one fake Amazon sub-domain. Loading the site in an unprotected Chrome browser with scripts enabled will trigger the 'Add Extension' pop-up, which tries to prevent the Web surfer from navigating away from the site. Messages from the Sages from the 'Add Extension' pop-up attacks imply that you must install its extension before you can close the tab or visit a different Web page.

The 'Add Extension' pop-up's current extension is Veritasi, an adware product, although the same attack is just as suitable for distributing other threats. This Potentially Unwanted Program had brief hosting in the official Chrome Web Store before being taken down. Malware experts have yet to acquire a sample of Veritasi to analyze in-depth, but the extension shows no symptoms of including functions unrelated to displaying advertising and tracking the user's browsing habits.

Keeping Your Browser from Extending in the Wrong Direction

Even though an 'Add Extension' pop-up disguises itself as being a leading Web page notice, Web surfers reading it carefully can detect several clues that it's an attempted attack. The second stage of the 'Add Extension' pop-up requires selecting an additional checkbox, and the last step requires explicit confirmation of the addition of the new extension. Victims clicking through the boxes carelessly may subject their browsers to all of the security issues attendant with most adware, such as performance problems, privacy violations, and the forcible insertion of potentially unsafe content into third-party pages.

The 'Add Extension' pop-up is a script-based parasite. Some PC users choose to protect themselves from attacks of this category by using script-blocking features that are available through specific add-ons, as well as through their default browser settings. Malware experts still recommend disabling Java, JavaScript, and Flash for any PC users interested in visiting sites that may pose a risk to their PCs. As an alternative, many anti-adware and computer security products include features for blocking drive-by-downloads or removing their aftereffects.

Even though the 'Add Extension' pop-up is custom to Chrome, attacks like it are a constant feature of the Web and can affect most brands of browsers. Submitting to the whims of any official-looking pop-up box that you see continues being an easy way of getting your PC infected with advertising software (at best).
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'Add Extension' Pop-Up

Threat Metric

The Advertisements You Get for Trusting a Website's Word Blindly

Keeping Your Browser from Extending in the Wrong Direction

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